1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a snow grooming device, which can be attached to a tool carrier in the front or back of a snow grooming vehicle and which is provided with a snow conditioning tool that can be coupled to the tool carrier, and with a tiller unit on the same side of the vehicle.
2. Background of the Invention
From PCT/EP95/04233, a snow grooming device of this category is known in which the tiller unit is fastened in the area of the lower rear edge of a dozer blade mounted in front of the vehicle. The tiller teeth of the tiller unit are pivotably held in bearing supports which are rigidly mounted at the bottom rear edge of the dozer blade. The tiller teeth can be tiltedxe2x80x94via a control mechanism supported at the dozer bladexe2x80x94from a ready position into an operating position in which the teeth engage in the snow base.
This tiller unit has proven very successful in practical application. It can be used to rip open and loosen the snow base. The snow grooming vehicle that follows comminutes the ripped-up chunks and may treat them with conditioning tools that follow behind. Thus, even hard, icy snow surfaces can be reconditioned into a new loose base.
The objective of the invention is to improve a snow grooming device of the above mentioned type in such a way that an improved application potential is created for the conditioning of the snow base, while the device should be of simple design and easy to operate.
This objective is achieved according to the invention with a snow grooming device which has the characteristics outlined in claim 1.
Thus, the tiller unit can be provided separately from the conditioning tool and be attached to the vehicle as an exchangeable adapter. The tiller unit can be designed as a separate unit and can therefore be very well adapted to the desired function.
For example, the tiller unit can be attached to the vehicle itself as an exchangeable adapter, and uncoupled again. As an adapter, it is separately exchangeable, so that the vehicle can be equipped according to the desired mode of operation.
Preferably, it is possible to couple the tiller unit to the tool carrier. Thus, the tiller unit itself can be coupled directly to the tool carrier as an adapter.
In an alternate version of the invention, the conditioning tool or the tiller unit can be coupled directly to the tool carrier. Thus, for example, the conditioning tool can, as an alternative to the tiller unit, be directly attached to the tool carrier. Another possible version would be for the tool carrier to have two carrier units to which the conditioning tool and the tiller unit could be attached independently of each other and coupled side by side to a carrier unit.
Advantageously, the tiller unit can be arranged between the conditioning tool and the tool carrier. Thus, the tiller unit and the conditioning tool work in succession in driving direction and can supplement each other for optimal grooming. For example, the tiller unit can first loosen the base with tiller teeth, and then the ripped-up chunks can be comminuted further with the conditioning tool until they have the desired consistence.
It is recommended that the tiller unit be designed as a holder for the conditioning tool. This means that the conditioning tool can be held by the tiller unit, allowing it, for example, to be coupled and uncoupled while it is on the vehicle. Thus, the tiller unit and the conditioning tool can be designed as a compact unit. By designing the tiller unit as an exchangeable adapter, it serves as a coupling unit for the tool carrier.
It is also conceivable for the coupling connection of the tiller unit for the tool carrier to correspond to the coupling connection of the conditioning tool for the tool carrier. In that way, the tiller unit and the conditioning tool can be arranged on the tool carrier, as an alternative. This allows the exchangeable coupling of the tiller unit and the conditioning tool to the tool carrier.
As a particularly advantageous alternative, the tiller unit can be provided with a coupling connection for the tool carrier on the side facing the vehicle, and a holding arrangement for the conditioning tool on the side facing away from the vehicle. This means that the tiller unit is attached to the tool carrier, while as an option, the conditioning tool can be attached to the holding arrangement. Thus, the tiller unit can be coupled to the tool carrier alone, or, in addition to the tiller unit, the conditioning tool can be attached and held by the carrier.
In a special manner, the tiller teeth of the tiller unit can be made to movexe2x80x94via a control mechanismxe2x80x94between a ready position and an operating position in which the teeth engage in the snow base, whereby the control mechanism is integrated in the tiller unit. Thus, the control mechanism is always coupled and uncoupled together with the tiller unit, which is designed as an exchangeable adapter, so that the control mechanism can be operated more or less independently from any accessories. Naturally, the control mechanism is supplied with energy from the energy connections, such as the hydraulic lines, the accessories or the vehicle itself.
Preferably, the control mechanism can be linked to an actuator lever that is separate from the tiller teeth. The actuator lever can be optimally designed for activating the teeth and can be appropriately adapted to the control mechanism. The design can also be such that the control mechanism and the actuator lever are arranged at an adequate distance from the snow base that is to be conditioned.
In a preferred embodiment, the control mechanism can be provided with a piston and cylinder unit whose linkage points are on the tiller unit. Thus, the piston and cylinder unit is supported by the tiller unit, so that the exchangeable adapter can be coupled and uncoupled without regard to any connection requirements for the control mechanism.
It is also conceivable that several tiller teeth of the tiller unit are connected with each other via a laterally extending cross web which engages in the snow base when the teeth are in operating position. The cross web serves as an additional separation and ripping arrangement. In operating position, it separates a layer of the snow base, which is then easy to comminute and condition. Furthermore, the cross web facilitates the additional loosening of the material to be conditioned.
It is understood that the tiller teeth can be designed as a holding arrangement for the cross web, and just a few tiller teeth are enough for this holding function. It is also understood that the conditioning function of the cross web does not primarily depend on the tiller unit being designed as an exchangeable adapter.
It is recommended that the cross web be arranged on the exterior end of the tiller teeth. This means that a layer of the snow base in the sector between the tiller teeth and their linkage point on the tiller unit is lifted up.
It is also conceivable for the cross web to extend parallel to one of the swivel axes of the tiller teeth.
In a practical embodiment, the cross web can tilt upward and toward the rear of the snow grooming device, when the tiller teeth are in operating position. In this sense, xe2x80x9ctilt upwardxe2x80x9d means that the web extends laterally in relation to the horizontal plane, that is to say in a skyward direction. Due to this direction of the cross web, the separated snow layer is lifted slightly upward and is thus additionally loosened up. In some snow layers, this already causes a slight breaking of the layer. Naturally it is also possible for only a part of the cross web to tilt upward.
Preferably, the cross web can be provided with a web section which in the front is substantially horizontal when the tiller teeth are in operating position, and whose back is formed by a winged web section that tilts upward. First, one layer of snow is separated by the horizontal web section. The winged section of the web slightly lifts this layer at an upward angle and loosens it. Thus, the functions of separating, lifting and loosening the snow are each performed optimally by different sections of the web.
It is recommended that a knife blade be provided at the front of the cross web. The knife blade facilitates the cutting of a snow layer.
Preferably, the tiller teeth can be chamfered to approximately knife-edge shape in the front. This facilitates the ripping-up of the snow base.
In a variant of the invention, the conditioning tool is a dozer blade. Thus, the tiller unit can be designed as an exchangeable adapter separate from the dozer blade. Usually, the dozer blade is attached to the front of a snow grooming vehicle. As mentioned above, the tiller unit can be coupled on separately as an exchangeable adapter.
It can be especially advantageous if the conditioning tool is an auger. Often, augers are attached and are pulled behind a snow grooming vehicle. By designing the tiller unit as an exchangeable adapter, it can be provided separately from the auger. For example, the tiller unit can be in front of the auger, where it first rips open the snow base in coarse chunks and loosens it, while the chunks are then conditioned by the auger.
It is understood that the objective according to the invention can also be solved by a snow grooming vehicle with a snow grooming device according to claim 1. Correspondingly, the snow grooming vehicle can also contain the above described characteristics of the sub-claims.